


Reconnaissance In Force

by segerge



Series: TASK FORCE [3]
Category: HERO Champions
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 08:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4912786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/segerge/pseuds/segerge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(June 1983) The Varanyi, a race of technically-advanced and aggressive psionics from the other side of the Galaxy, are scouting Earth for possible invasion.  Can TASK FORCE convince them that *might* be a bad idea?</p><p>Special Guest Villain: Dr. Matthew Fuseli as Biomaster.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reconnaissance In Force

**Author's Note:**

> * * *
> 
> #### DRAMATIS PERSONAE
> 
> **Task Force (Dallas-Fort Worth supergroup)**
> 
>   * Ted Jameson (AKA Ranger), CEO of ProStar, speedster and team leader
>   * Julie Dormyer (AKA Ladyhawk), Chairman of the Board of Directors for ProStar, ninja with latent powers of temporal visualization
>   * Dr. Bob Hawkins (AKA Starforce), Research Scientist for ProStar, power-armor wearer/gadgeteer
>   * Rev. Kent Christiansen (AKA Spiritual Warrior), Associate Pastor of Carrolton Park Church, mage with a holy sword
>   * Frederick 'Bowser' Bastable (AKA Mr. Bassman), jazz artist and mutant sonic projector
>   * Jack Snyder (AKA Minuteman), independent trucker, brick with stretching powers
> 

> 
> **notable Varanyi**
> 
>   * Zes'arou Al'Gari Vikon, leader of the Varanyi survey expedition to Earth
>   * T'Nereq Ch'uuk Skolvasian, commander of the Varanyi Star Galleon _Sitharados_
>   * S'Tuluk Ch'eggb Zhaldar, military liaison to the Uthiriom Vaan, deep-cover operative for the Varanyi Ch'edlevet
> 

> 
> **Villains**
> 
>   * Curt Underwood (AKA Megavolt), electricity-wielder
>   * Jon Stevens (AKA Ogre), brick
>   * Frank Costen (AKA Pulsar), overconfident energy-projector
>   * Dr. Matthew Fuseli (AKA Biomaster), master supervillain with powers of neurokinetic manipulation, master geneticist.
>   * James Hailey (AKA Stormfront), mutant with powers of weather control
> 

> 
> **others**
> 
>   * Robert Washington Kaufman (AKA Golden Avenger), America's national hero and chief field agent for PRIMUS.
>   * LTC Shane Silverman, USAF, Executive Officer to the Base Commander, 1606th Air Base Wing, Kirtland AFB, NM
> 

> 
> **AUTHOR'S NOTE 1** : Telepathy is denoted by (( )), internal monologue by [[ ]], Varanyi speech by « »
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S NOTE 2** : Some knowledge of the Varanyi, either from the 4th edition supplement 'The Ultimate Mentalist', the 5th edition supplement 'Galactic Champions', or the 5th edition supplement to _Star Hero_ 'Terran Empire', is helpful but not necessary.
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S NOTE 3** : I am gender-flipping T'Nereq from the original character conception in "The Ultimate Mentalist" because it makes the character FAR more interesting
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S NOTE 4** : I feel safe in discussing the actual mission of Manzano Bunker at Kirtland AFB in the 1980's since it's been all over Wikipedia for the past several years.

**PROLOGUE** : Varanyi Star Galleon _Sitharados_ , approaching Earth

(The bridge of the _Sitharados_ is quiet, filled only with the quiet whirr of life support machinery and the background rumble of the ship’s drives)

 **Conn** : ((orbital insertion in five minutes))

(T'Nereq Skolvasian, captain of the _Sitharados_ , stares at the Earth growing in size on the main viewscreen instead of the repeaters at her station)

 **T'Nereq** : ((the psionic potential is... incredible))

 **Conn** : ((I've been able to track it unaided for the past week))

(for those playing along at home, that's a distance of over 10 THOUSAND light-years)

 **T'Nereq** : ((Ops. Cloak status))

 **Ops** : ((fully engaged))

 **XO** (smiling): ((just like when we dropped out of warp, Captain))

 **T'Nereq** : ((it's best to be cautious approaching a species with so much power, XO))

(Zes'Arou Al'Gari Vikon enters the bridge)

 **Vikon** : ((status, Captain?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((we will begin remote reconnaissance as soon as we are secure from maneuvering))

 **Vikon** : ((good))

(T'Nereq senses the sharpness in Vikon's thoughts)

 **T'Nereq** : ((you are concerned about your mission?))

 **Vikon** : ((the Uthiriom Vaan appointed me to lead the survey of this planet. I am but an instrument of my uncle the Sh'Garothayn's will))

 **T'Nereq** : ((even if old Iron Face's will should call for the conquest of this planet?))

 **Vikon** : ((they are primitive. They have barely mastered even crude space travel)) (beat) ((is it not our moral right to rule those who are beneath us?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((you sound like your brother when you say that))

 **Vikon** : ((I am not my brother))

 **T'Nereq** (bitterly): ((yet you parrot him perfectly)) (beat) ((how did he bully you this time?))

 **Vikon** : ((if you have reservations about my mission, Captain, voice them))

(T'Nereq pauses, then rides with Vikon's abrupt change of subject)

 **T'Nereq** : ((wouldn't it be better to approach a species with this much psionic potential openly? Offer them an alliance or some other arrangement instead of surveying them for a full-up invasion?))

 **Vikon** : ((they are not Varanyi))

(shocked pause)

 **T'Nereq** : ((I thought I knew you, Vikon. Your years on the Uthiriom Vaan have corrupted your soul))

(the muted rumble of the engines somewhere aft fades)

 **Conn** : ((in orbit. Done with engines))

 **XO** : ((Secure from maneuvering))

(the bridge crew gets busy. Tense pause, held gaze between Vikon and T'Nereq)

 **Vikon** : ((I have my orders, Captain)) (beat, turns for the door) ((and so do you))

* * *

(3425 S. Washington Avenue, Titusville FL. Evening, three weeks later)

(Ted 'Ranger' Jameson's back is to the pool on the back patio, looking across the Indian River at the brilliantly-lit speck of light at the far end of Kennedy Space Center on its other side. Bob 'Starforce' Hawkins is hanging off the edge of the deep end of the pool, enjoying the water)

 **Ranger** : "I've always wanted to watch a manned space shot."

 **Starforce** : "I'm just glad all the attention's on Sally Ride and not the payload." (beat) "How were you able to snag a Getaway Special at the last second like this? You never told me the full story."

 **Ranger** : "I wasn't sure how you'd handle that story."

(awkward pause)

 **Starforce** : "Is there something you need to tell me about the microthruster?"

 **Ranger** : "Only that Julie has friends in some *really* interesting places."

 **Starforce** (beat): "She has a friend at DARPA?"

 **Ranger** : "In this case, more like a blackmail victim."

 **Starforce** : "Go on."

 **Ranger** : "Do you remember the DARPA contract we were competing on back in February?"

 **Starforce** : "I remember we lost to Nichols Research."

 **Ranger** : "Julie caught the lead project engineer passing data to VIPER."

 **Starforce** (beat): "Oh."

(something causes Ted to turn around and look at the pool. Bob follows his gaze, but all he sees are ripples in the shallow end. Bob shrugs his shoulders and turns back to Ted)

 **Ranger** : "The Getaway Special on this shuttle flight was partial payment for Julie's silence."

 **Starforce** : "I would've thought Ninjette would run them as a double agent and pass info on to PRI..."

(with a startled sound of surprise, Bob vanishes underwater as if pulled. Beat, a lot of bubbles, then Bob surfaces in Julie 'Ladyhawk' Dormyer's grasp)

 **Starforce** (coughing and angry): "Ninjette, WHAT THE HELL?"

 **Ladyhawk** (smiling, sultry): "You were distracted, Nerd-boy! I couldn't resist."

(she is almost nose-to-nose with Bob, as if she had kissed him underwater)

 **Starforce** : "Perhaps you should have! I didn't come here to drown, you know."

 **Ladyhawk** (still sultry): "Then what DID you come here for?"

(long pause, held gaze)

 **Ranger** (clearing his throat): "Uh, guys?"

(Julie giggles, kisses Bob on the nose, then dives underwater)

 **Starforce** (watching Julie dolphin-kick underwater toward a ladder): "WHAT got into her?"

 **Ranger** : "It appears she's discovered how to make you feel uncomfortable."

 **Starforce** (pulling himself out of the pool): "She already does that by being my prison warden."

 **Ranger** : "Not from what she's told me."

(still underwater, Julie flips and pushes off the wall by the ladder and swims for the other side of the deep end)

 **Starforce** : "I make *her* feel uncomfortable? You heard her last August! I'm exiled to her Guest Apartment."

 **Ranger** : "And what would you do if you weren't?"

 **Starforce** : "I dunno. Probably play her piano when I'm not working on a project."

(Julie surfaces, climbing the ladder on the other side of the deep end)

 **Ranger** : "Perhaps that's her problem with you."

(Julie saunters over while still drying off)

 **Ladyhawk** (to Ted): "How were we able to afford a vacation rental?"

 **Ranger** : "This is our comptroller's timeshare."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Oh." (beat) "We need to get more involved with the space program, then."

 **Starforce** : "So you can show off in the pool more, Ninjette?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "We'll have to not bring you next time, Nerd-boy." (looks at his chest) "We can't afford clogging the pool filter if you start shedding."

 **Starforce** : "HEY!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Aw, what's the matter? Can't handle a little ogling?"

 **Starforce** : "You don't see me ogling YOU, do you?" (beat, muttered) "Lord knows I should because of how transparent your bikini top is..."

 **Ladyhawk** (embarrassed and angry): "NERD-BOY!"

 **Ranger** : "Children? Behave!"

(Julie makes an inarticulate grunt of frustration and joins Ted at the back fence, draping her towel around her shoulders. She flinches when Bob joins them, towel draped around *his* shoulders)

 **Ranger** : "When's the launch again, Bob?"

 **Starforce** : "Launch window opens just after 7:30 AM."

 **Ranger** : "Okay, then. Reveille at 0400, I want to be on the Space Center grounds at 0500."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Ugh!"

 **Starforce** : "Remind me again when we joined the army, Ted?"

(beat, as they take a last look at the Space Center across the river. Julie suddenly trembles and shakes her head)

 **Ranger** (to Julie): "What's bothering you, Julie?"

 **Ladyhawk** (beat, hesitant): "I don't know. Something about this shuttle launching in cold weather makes me nervous."

 **Starforce** (incredulous): "Cold weather? It's Florida in mid-June!"

/* to save you all half a minute with Wikipedia, the shuttle mission whose launch they are attending (STS-7) was flown by _Challenger_ */

* * *

****(Varanyi Star Galleon _Sitharados_ , Low Earth Orbit. Approximately 7: 25 AM EDT the next day)

(Vikon strides into Main Teleport, followed by his military attache Zhalvar and T'Nereq)

 **T'Nereq** : ((this is FOOLHARDY, Vikon, and you *know* it!))

 **Zhalvar** : ((you felt no need to personally run the teams we just put down in western and eastern Eurasia OR western North America. Why *this* one?))

 **Vikon** : ((because this attack will be done by proxies. How else am I supposed to control them?))

 **T'Nereq** (acidly): ((from orbit?))

 **Vikon** : ((and exactly *how* am I supposed to be recording the human's reactions to my attack if I am hiding on a cloaked Star Galleon?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((your brother would hide behind a squadron of Star Galleons and expend them if that's what it would take))

 **Vikon** : ((True. And who of us is willing to call my heroic brother Tlokon on such cowardly behavior?))

(tense pause)

 **Vikon** : ((Tlokon can get away with behavior like that because he is beloved by a majority of the Uthiriom Vaan. I cannot))

 **T'Nereq** : ((at least let me have Security send a squad of commandoes down with you))

 **Vikon** : ((maybe later, as we continue our probing attacks)) (beat) ((Skolvasian, why exactly are you worried? This species' technology is *primitive*!))

 **Zhalvar** : ((even primitive technology can damage you beyond the ability of your medical nanotech to heal you))

 **Vikon** (to Zhalvar): ((you, too?))

 **Zhalvar** (to T'Nereq): ((Prince Vikon, please stop to consider the human's spaceflight technology. Their ships may be only chemically-powered, but do you have any idea of the damage you will suffer if you should be in close proximity to one which is launching?))

 **Vikon** : ((you're assuming the craft will even launch once my attack starts. The humans running this continent's space organization are paranoid almost to the point of timidity about disruptions to one of their launches)) (beat) ((sensible, actually, when you consider just how primitive their spacecraft are))

 **T'Nereq** : ((what about superheroes?))

 **Vikon** : ((that threat is overblown. What I've seen from this species' 'superheroes' since we arrived barely compare to what the Gyuki-ani can do back home)) (steps on the teleporter stage) ((and there are no superheroes known to operate in the area of the continent in which their spaceport is located))

(he looks around Main Teleport, but no one else is willing to offer up objections)

 **Vikon** : ((I have delayed long enough. Crew chief, you have the coordinates?))

 **Crew Chief** : ((yessir))

 **Vikon** : ((and your orders?))

 **Crew Chief** : ((I am to port the proxy team of human supervillains to your coordinates in five minutes))

 **Vikon** (nodding his approval): ((then let's get started. Port me down))

(the crew chief manipulates his controls)

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!)

(beat, then T'Nereq turns for the door of Main Teleport)

 **T'Nereq** (to the crew chief): ((I want a continuous teleport lock on him at all times))

 **Crew Chief** : ((our current orbit will take us out of line of sight in 30 minutes...))

 **T'Nereq** : ((Tactical will be keeping a sensor drone in close proximity to the human's spaceport. Coordinate with them))

(T'Nereq leaves. Beat, then Zhalvar steps alongside the crew chief at her console and taps at it for a moment)

 **Zhalvar** (to the crew chief): ((port me down to *these* coordinates))

 **Crew Chief** : ((sir?))

 **Zhalvar** (walking to the teleport deck): ((the Sh'Garothayn may have given Vikon his mission, but his brother has given me MINE))

* * *

****(VIP level, Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry, Kennedy Space Center. Approximately 7: 30 AM EDT)

(the space shuttle _Challenger_ squats on Pad 39a, just over two miles distant from the gantry. Ted is speaking with some reporters, while Julie shades her eyes and Bob alternates between looking toward the pad and at his watch)

 **Starforce** (tugging at his collar): "At least we're launching early in the morning. God knows how we'd be feeling if we had to wear suits later in the day."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Suck it up, Nerd-boy. At least you can *wear* your battlesuit underneath your coat and tie."

 **Starforce** : "Are you SURE something's going to happen today?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Yeah." (beat) "Believe me, I wish I could be more specific."

(Ted gets done with the reporters and walks back to Bob and Julie)

 **Ranger** : "When's the launch?"

 **Starforce** : "About three minutes, now."

(Julie's Danger Sense begins to go off)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Guys? I think it's starting..."

 **Ranger** : "Where?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Close to the launch pad."

 **Starforce** : "I don't see anything yet..."

(there is a flash of light from the TVs on the VIP level which are tuned to closeup shots of Pad 39A. Three humans, two glowing and one really large, are now at the base of the launch pad. The one in the green bodystocking flies over to the camera)

 **Ranger** (hissing): "Pulsar!"

 **Pulsar** (from the TV): "BEHOLD WHAT TRUE POWER REALLY IS, AMERICA! DELIVER TO ME MORGAN FAIRCHILD OR I WILL DESTROY THE SPACE SHUTTLE!!"

 **Ladyhawk** (whispered): "What IS it with him and Morgan Fairchild all the time?"

(Bob shrugs his shoulders, confused)

 **Ranger** (whispered): "Let's suit up. NOW."

 **Ladyhawk** (to Ted): "How am I going to get there after I do?"

 **Ranger** : "You're going to have to let Bob carry you."

(Bob and Julie look at Ted in disbelief, then at each other)

 **Ladyhawk/Starforce** : "Oh, GREAT."

* * *

****(Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center. Approximately 7: 32 AM EDT)

(Pulsar, Megavolt, and Ogre are at the base of the launch pad. The countdown, for some reason, has not stopped)

 **Pulsar** (into the camera): "I grow impatient, people!"

 **Megavolt** (looking at the launch clock off in the distance): "Hey, man, shouldn't they have stopped the launch when we arrived?"

(Pulsar looks at the launch clock Megavolt has just indicated, then up to the Shuttle)

 **Pulsar** : "Rather cold-blooded of them. Trying to kill us all by continuing with the launch..."

 **Megavolt** (looking down the crawlerway): "What's that?"

(a shooting star and a cloud of dust can now be seen hurtling rapidly toward the launchpad)

 **Ogre** : "Finally! Super-bullies for Ogre to PUNCH!"

* * *

(Saturn Crawlway, approaching Pad 39a)

(Starforce is carrying Ladyhawk while flying at full speed just above the pavement. Next to them, Ranger runs at full speed)

 **Ranger** : "Bob, what's the book on Megavolt?"

 **Starforce** : "Electricity-based powers, and that forcefield of his can kill either one of you if you touch it. Based on Drainiac's fight against him in the Bay Area last year, he should be susceptible to my Electrogravitic shock."

 **Ladyhawk** : "You must be a very lonely man to have the time to memorize the PRIMUS Superhuman Survey."

 **Starforce** : "What IS it with you on this trip?"

 **Ranger** : "Okay, here's the plan. Throw Julie at Ogre and engage Megavolt. I'll start with Pulsar."

 **Ladyhawk** : "You want ME to fight *Ogre*?"

 **Ranger** : "I said hit him, not fight him! Who you engage next is at your discretion."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Okay..."

(they are now within 200 feet of the supervillains, who have now noticed their approach)

 **Starforce** : "Ready, Ninjette?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Just make sure you aim me at Ogre, Nerd-boy!"

 **Starforce** (letting go of Ladyhawk and banking toward Megavolt): "Bombs away!!"

* * *

(Pad 39a. One second later)

(the shooting star drops what looks to be a dark-clad female who spins feet-first and hits Ogre for 13 STUN. Ogre is knocked back into a metal outbuilding, demolishing it and taking an additional 5 STUN. Ladyhawk drops into a three-point landing, shaking her head after taking 6 STUN from her end of the move-through)

(Ranger wins the roll-off with Pulsar at effective DEX 30. Before Pulsar can fire an energy blast at him, Ranger runs by him and punches for 22 STUN, sending him flying over 20 feet away before he can roll out if it without taking additional damage)

 **Starforce** (aiming at Megavolt): "Okay, sparky, let's see if you can take it!"

(Starforce hits with a 7d6 electroagratic shock for 26 STUN. Megavolt falls down to his knees, CON-stunned

(Ogre finally gets to go. He pulls himself out of the wreckage of the building that Ladyhawk had knocked him into and sees Starforce about to fly by, still paying attention to Megavolt. He starts a haymaker and connects with Starforce for 20 STUN after defenses. Starforce is knocked away and up into the air for about 30 feet before catching himself with his flight)

 **Starforce** (shaking his head): "That was uncalled for!"

(if you're keeping score at home, Starforce is now down to 12 STUN)

(Megavolt, shaking his head and trying to recover from being stunned, is within Ladyhawk's half-move distance)

 **Ladyhawk** : "I don't think so."

(She tumbles over to him before he can re-establish his lightning shield and hits with her nerve strike, doing 7 STUN. Megavolt is out)

(Ranger continues his running and speeds past Ogre, hitting him for 11 STUN before he can turn around and swat at Ranger)

(Pulsar shoots Ranger in the back for 9 STUN)

(Starforce makes a PER roll, and observes the countdown clock is still going)

 **Starforce** (internal monologue): [[WHY hasn't the countdown stopped?!?]]

(he looks at the battlefield for a split second)

 **Starforce** (internal monologue): [[Pulsar can absorb energy. Attack Ogre, Bob...]]

(he half-moves to the side of Ogre that Ranger didn't punch and winds up for a roundhouse kick, putting his Force Projection systems into HTH damage and enhanced Strength. He hits for 16 STUN, knocking Ogre down)

(Ogre finds himself next to a largeish piece of debris left over from the building Ladyhawk made him demolish. He throws it at Starforce, who barely ducks out of its way)

 **Starforce** : "HEY!!" (into his mask radio) "Launch Control, this is the superhero Starforce! Abort the launch!"

(Ladyhawk throws a cloud of flash pellets in the general vicinity of Ogre. Ogre is now blind for the rest of the turn, Pulsar and Ranger for this phase)

 **Ranger** (internal monologue): [[you could have WARNED me next time, Julie...]]

(relying on his Combat Sense, Ranger makes his PER roll and locates Pulsar, hitting for 27 STUN. Pulsar lands 20 feet away, unconscious)

(Megavolt recovers from being knocked out. Shaking his head, he grabs an exposed wire)

(zzzzZZZZAP!!)

(three shuriken embed themselves in one of Ogre's arms for a total of 3 BODY and 10 STUN. Ogre bellows in pain)

(Starforce punches Ogre for 5 STUN. Ogre shakes his head)

 **Ogre** : "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!"

(he leaps toward the Atlantic Ocean. After a couple of seconds, a splash can be seen far offshore)

(exhausted pause)

 **Starforce** (into mask radio): "Launch Control, this is the superhero Starforce. Please respond!"

(with a thundering HISSSS the pad sound suppression system starts pouring water under the base of the Shuttle)

 **Ranger** : "What's wrong?"

 **Starforce** (pointing): "Look at the countdown clock."

(the countdown clock is now down to 13 seconds to launch. And it's still going)

(shocked pause)

 **Ranger** (grabbing Pulsar's unconscious form): "TAKE LADYHAWK! GET OUT OF HERE!!"

(Starforce grabs Ladyhawk and heads back down the Saturn Causeway, pushing his flight as Ranger pushes his super-running)

 **Starforce** (muttered): "Come on..."

(the main engines on _Challenger_ ignite at T minus 6 seconds. Starforce's forcefield shimmers as the overpressure of that event hits him and Ladyhawk one second later. Turbulence briefly shakes them)

 **Starforce** (forcefield rippling as he reallocates it entirely to PD): "Come ON..."

( _Challenger_ 's SRB's ignite, and the Shuttle begins to lift off the pad. The pressure wave of the SRB ignition catches up with Starforce and Ladyhawk three seconds later and half a mile from the pad, swatting them out of the air like they were flys)

(Starforce and Ladyhawk tumble to a stop alongside the Saturn Causeway as the shuttle clears the launch tower. Long pause as they recover by watching _Challenger_ accelerate into the sky)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Think you cut that a bit close, Nerd-boy?"

 **Starforce** : "If I ever have children, they're NEVER gonna believe *this* story!"

* * *

(Main Teleport, Varanyi Star Galleon _Sitharados_ , Low Earth Orbit. Two hours later)

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!)

(Zhalvar appears on the teleport stage. Four Hrewinth H’varr have blaster pistols drawn on him; Vikon and T'Nereq stand behind them)

 **T'Nereq** : ((you can volunteer why you mind-controlled the humans running the spaceport to go ahead with the launch in spite of a running battle around their spacecraft, Lieutenant, or I will have your confession ripped from your mind. Which will it be?))

(tense pause, then Zhalvar collapses on the teleport deck like a puppet with its strings cut)

 **Vikon** (beat): ((he committed Iwdric rather than reveal his mission))

 **T'Nereq** : ((sickbay, Code Blue, Main Teleport. Take your time)) (to Vikon) ((I thought only the Hrewinth H'varr could commit Iwdric))

 **Vikon** : ((he *was* Hrewinth H'Varr before he became a military liaison to the Uthiriom Vaan. Did you *not* notice the black torc around his neck?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((who would want him to arrange your death on a primitive world?))

 **Vikon** : ((where would you like me to start?))

(T'Nereq looks at him, amazed)

 **Vikon** : ((politics, Skolvasian, is the Uthiriom Vaan's blood sport)) (beat) ((his attempted betrayal does not surprise me))

 **T'Nereq** : ((had he succeeded, your brother would have led the ENTIRE Battle Line here. And no one would have stopped him))

 **Vikon** (looking at Zhalvar's corpse): ((that does tend to narrow the list of suspects considerably))

(a medical team enters Main Teleport at this time. T'Nereq turns her attention to them to mentally brief them on what happened while Vikon waits on her)

 **T'Nereq** (to the Hrewinth H'varr squad leader): ((your business here is done, Lieutenant. Dismissed))

(the commandoes salute and leave)

 **Vikon** : ((walk with me, Skolvasian))

(Vikon and T'Nereq leave Main Teleport)

 **Vikon** : ((your tactical crew has analyzed the superheroes who opposed my proxies?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((yes. They are members of a team located in a land named 'Texas', elsewhere on the North American continent))

 **Vikon** : ((why were they at the spaceport instead of this... 'Texas'?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((a company in Texas had a small payload onboard the spacecraft that just launched. The tactical crew suspects the superheroes have some relationship with this company and had been present to witness the launch.))

(they enter a turbolift)

 **T'Nereq** (to the lift): «deck 10, station 300»

(the lift starts moving, and T'Nereq shows Vikon the tablet she has been carrying)

 **T'Nereq** : ((the sensor drone I was using to maintain teleport lock on you was also there to analyze any human response to your attack))

 **Vikon** : ((excellent forethought, Skolvasian. What can you tell me about them?))

 **T'Nereq** (showing Vikon an image of Ranger): ((the speedster appeared to be the leader. Intel believes he may have a military background))

 **Vikon** : ((that would explain a lot of the battle I witnessed))

 **T'Nereq** (showing Vikon an image of Ladyhawk): ((the female seemed to be the least-capable member of the trio until computer analysis on her movements came back. Based on that analysis, Intel believes she can see one to two seconds into the future))

 **Vikon** : ((she seemed to be extraordinarily difficult to hit))

 **T'Nereq** : ((an ability which would be VERY useful in combat)) (shows Vikon an image of Starforce) ((THIS human superhero concerned everyone on the tactical crew))

 **Vikon** : ((he seemed to be wearing some sort of flexible battlesuit, like the Hrewinth H'varr do))

 **T'Nereq** : ((the battlesuit appears to be based on electrogravitic forcefields, and if used to its fullest potential would be the equal of the scout armor our Thrice-Blessed Commandoes wear))

(the turbolift stops and opens up on the CIC)

 **Vikon** : ((could he have acquired his suit from another species?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((the Mandaarians are on this side of the Galaxy, and from our initial reconnaissance appear to have publicly visited this world twice in the past 10 years. It's conceivable))

(tense pause)

 **Vikon** : ((I will need to speak with your tactical crew at length))

 **T'Nereq** : ((they're on this deck at station 350))

 **Vikon** (turning to leave): ((thank you))

 **T'Nereq** (interrupting his departure): ((will you let me assign a squad of Hrewinth H'varr for your protection? NOW?))

 **Vikon** (beat): ((by all means))

* * *

(Bob Hawkins' Lab, ProStar, Plano TX. Lunch the next day. The sign on the door says, "Objects on the workstation monitor are closer than they appear")

/* **suggested music** : [Science](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NJTQzhqidk), by Two Steps from Hell */

(Ted and Julie can sort of hear Bob singing from the hallway side of the door)

 **Ladyhawk** (hand on the doorknob): "He's having WAY too much fun in there."

 **Ranger** : "Aren't you going to knock?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Why? His reaction's *much* more interesting when you surprise him."

(Julie opens the door and they enter. Bob is spinning in his chair as it glides from one of the lab benches to his desk)

 **Starforce** (singing): "Electrogravitics instead of two wings, these are a few of my favorite things..."

 **Ladyhawk** (interrupting): "Somebody missed their true calling in life."

 **Starforce** (beat, to Julie): "What are *you* doing here? I only called Ted down..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "My company, and I *am* sort of Ted's second-in-command on missions. Got a problem with that?"

(Bob sighs and rolls his eyes)

 **Ladyhawk** (looking around): "I haven't been down here since the night of the attack last year!" /* "You All Meet in a Lab" */

 **Starforce** (over his shoulder while he types at his workstation): "What, no snark about the decor?"

 **Ladyhawk** (beat): "Well, with your old co-worker gone I expected something more in the way of centerfolds."

(without looking, Bob points over to the wall next to the door. Julie looks at the poster indicated, and her jaw drops)

 **Ladyhawk** : "The starship _Enterprise_? Seriously?!?"

 **Starforce** : "You were expecting a picture of you in that bikini you wore in Florida?"

 **Ladyhawk** (angry): "NERD-BOY!"

 **Ranger** : "GUYS!"

(Bob and Julie flinch. They both look at Ted sheepishly)

 **Ranger** : "Can we *focus* here?"

(awkward pause, then Bob turns toward his workstation)

 **Ranger** : "Bob, you said over the phone that you had something you needed to show me."

 **Starforce** (tapping at his workstation's keyboard): "Yes, I do!" (tap tap tap) "Ninjette made the comment after the battle yesterday that Ogre was fighting far more intelligently than he usually does. So, I've spent the first two coffees this morning going over my suit's flight recorder to see if I could find anything that might indicate why that happened."

(a frame of the battle taken from mid-air displays on the workstation monitor first)

 **Starforce** : "This frame is just after Ogre haymakered me, before I caught myself in mid-air." (pointing at each person as he narrates) "Here's Ted, there's Ninjette, Megavolt, Pulsar, Ogre..."

(Bob's finger stops on a slender humanoid form with a funny-looking head)

 **Starforce** (continuing): "...and one *other* person whom -- based on where he or she is standing in relation to us all in this frame -- we ALL should have seen!"

(Julie and Ted lean forward, fascinated)

 **Ranger** : "Do you have any closeups of this extra person?"

 **Starforce** : "I've been working on that, too, all morning." (tap tap tap, then another frame of flight recorder appears on the workstation) "I got an isolated glimpse of our mystery person as I was in the middle of roundhouse-kicking Ogre a couple of seconds later."

(the humanoid form is tall and thin, light brown skin, with a vestigal nose and five head ridges running from the nose bridge front to back along the top of a hairless skull. The outfit looks vaguely Indian in nature but clearly originated from no clothing store on Earth. Stunned pause)

 **Starforce** (deadpan): "I don't think he's from around here."

 **Ranger** : "Ya THINK?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Do you have any more pictures of the alien?"

(Bob brings up another still image from the battle)

 **Starforce** : "When we look at THIS frame, Ted is very helpfully next to our alien." (to Ted) "You're 6 feet 3 inches, right?"

 **Ranger** : "Yeah."

 **Starforce** (pointing back to the monitor): "That makes our friend at least 6 foot 5." (beat) "Couple that with the slender build, assuming human density, the alien is probably from a world with slightly less gravity than Earth."

 **Ladyhawk** (amazement overcoming sarcasm): "You can tell all that from one frame?"

 **Starforce** : "I can tell even more from this next one."

(he brings up the next frame. Ogre is clutching his eyes, the alien is in no distress)

 **Starforce** : "This was right after Ninjette cut loose with the flash-bang. Notice the lack of either flash defense or an adverse reaction to what just happened."

 **Ranger** : "He's from a planet orbiting a brighter star?"

 **Starforce** : "Got it in one." (beat, brings up a third image) "And THIS is the best closeup of our friend I could coax out of my flight recorder. Note the skin."

 **Ladyhawk** : "What about it?"

 **Starforce** : "It's moist, yet he isn't sweating. It was a warm and humid morning at the Space Center when we fought. It would appear our alien here is used to warm and humid environments."

 **Ranger** : "Backing up a bit. How come none of us saw him?"

 **Starforce** : "To register on my flight recorder but not any of *our* senses? It had to have been editing itself out of all our visual cortexes."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Mind control?"

 **Starforce** : "Yup."

 **Ranger** : "And fairly sophisticated, too, to do that while directing three supervillains in battle."

 **Ladyhawk** : "The only psionic aliens known to Humanity are the Mandaarians..."

 **Starforce** (interrupting, pointing to the monitor): "That ISN'T a Mandaarian!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "I can *see* that, Nerd-boy! I'm not stupid..."

 **Ranger** (interrupting): "Bob, can you print me out some copies of our alien here?"

 **Starforce** : "I could, but I'd lose time trying to hack the printers in Marketing to get you a decent quality image." (turning back to his workstation and missing the shocked expressions on Ted and Julie's faces) "Lemme dump a holocube for you if you're gonna send it to PRIMUS."

 **Ranger** : "Please and thank you!"

* * *

(Conference Room 1, ProStar, Plano TX. Two days later)

(all of TASK FORCE minus Minuteman are in full kit and sitting around a table as the Golden Avenger enters)

 **Golden Avenger** : "I thank all of you for being able to make it today. By now, you are all aware that there is a previously-unknown alien race that is... aggressively scouting Earth in general and the United States in particular?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Ranger briefed us yesterday."

(Mr. Bassman nods to confirm Spiritual Warrior's answer)

 **Golden Avenger** : "Good." (to Starforce) "Dr. Hawkins, image 1 please?"

(Starforce taps at the computer, and an image of the head-ridge alien seen at Kennedy Space Center fills the Conference Room screen)

 **Golden Avenger** : "I circulated the image off of Dr. Hawkins' flight recorder among all the aliens on Earth known to PRIMUS. Metron, an Ixendaran working with the Peacekeepers of Chicago, was able to give us a positive ID." (beat) "The alien who was present during _Challenger_ 's launch was a Varanyi, a technically-advanced and psionic race of humanoids anti-spinward and rimward of Ixendar."

 **Ranger** : "Where is Ixendar in relation to Earth?"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Antispinward roughly 20,000 light-years from Earth."

 **Starforce** : "Which would put the Varanyi homeworld roughly on the other side of the Galaxy from us?"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Correct."

 **Starforce** : "How technically advanced?"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Based on what Metron told us, at least as advanced as the Mandaarians."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Ohboy..."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Do we have any idea where they might attack next?"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Based on their attack on Nichols Research outside Redstone Arsenal in Alabama yesterday, we believe that they are targeting high technology research and development facilities across the United States."

 **Ranger** : "Specifically?"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Dr. Hawkins, image 2 please?"

(Starforce taps at the computer again, and a map of the United States appears on the screen. Several places across the southern states are annotated)

 **Golden Avenger** (reading from the screen): "Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, Drake-Victoria and ProStar in Dallas, White Sands Missile Range, Kirtland AFB in New Mexico, and... the Nevada Test Range are on our list of expected targets."

 **Ranger** : "Why these targets?"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Mission-killing these targets would seriously harm our nation's research and development infrastructure. Also, our analysts believe that the Varanyi are assessing our response to each attack to determine just how strong or weak we are."

(Ladyhawk's Danger Sense screams for attention)

 **Ladyhawk** : "EVERYONE GET DOWN!!"

(she jumps over to Starforce and pulls him down on top of her just as the ProStar Building shakes from a massive explosion somewhere in close proximity to it)

(Spiritual Warrior flares with power as he uses Clairsentience to see what just attacked)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Five aliens, in front of the building by the lake!"

 **Mr. Bassman** : "That didn't take long, mon!"

* * *

(What's left of the Main Lobby, ProStar, Plano TX. Ten seconds later)

(Vikon leads a squad of Hrewinth H'varr through the rubble in front of the building)

 **Vikon** : ((FORWARD! FIND THE ELECTROGRAVITICS LAB!!))

 **Commando 1** : ((sir, where are their superheroes?))

 **Vikon** : ((they'll be here))

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!!)

(TASK FORCE and the Golden Avenger flash into existence in front of them)

 **Starforce** (throwing up): "(HWAAUUGH!!)WHAT the...(hachk!)"

(with Starforce now experiencing his weakness to quantum-displacement teleportation for the first time in his life, that's one less superhuman to participate in the mass DEX 30 rolloff to see who goes first)

(Golden Avenger half-moves to the closest Varanyi commando and punches him for 22 STUN after defenses. The commando hurtles into the ruins of the reception desk, CON-stunned)

(Ranger half-moves to the farthest Varanyi commando and hits for 12 STUN. The commando, staggered, shoots at Ranger and misses)

(Vikon looks at Mr. Bassman and his eyes glow. Bassman suddenly turns and attacks Starforce with a penetrating sonic blast, achieving surprise in combat and hitting him for 18 STUN)

 **Starforce** : "Hey!"

(Ladyhawk's Danger Sense has already alerted her to what was going to happen to Mr. Bassman. As Starforce gets hit by the sonic blast, she is attacking Bassman from surprise with a Nerve Strike, hitting for 8 STUN)

(the two undamaged Hrewinth H'varr draw a bead on the Golden Avenger's back and fire with their combat blasters. Spiritual Warrior deflects both shots)

(from outside the ProStar building, a red-tinged beam hits Vikon in the middle of his back and drains 70 STUN. Since he only had 54, he takes 8d6 NND for 29 STUN. Vikon falls to his hands and knees, CON-stunned)

 **Biomaster** (striding into the ruins of ProStar's front lobby): "Good thing I decided to camp out nearby! I wasn't expecting our new alien attackers to get here so soon!"

 **Ladyhawk** (confused): "Who do we attack? Biomaster or the Varanyi?"

(the three non-stunned commandos open fire on Biomaster. He dodges their blaster fire almost effortlessly and returns fire with a raised gauntlet, draining 25 END from the nearest Varanyi)

 **Biomaster** (to the Varanyi): "Oh, come ON now! How do you expect me to take your leader off your hands so I can sequence his DNA?"

 **Starforce** (to Ladyhawk): "THAT answer your question?"

 **Ladyhawk** (throwing a pack of marbles across the floor in front of Biomaster): "Yup."

(Biomaster steps on the marbles and slips. Like a shooting star, Starforce is immediately above him and grabbing his flailing arms)

 **Starforce** (to Biomaster as he martial throws him into the ceiling): "Sorry to see your schedule slip."

(Biomaster takes 25 STUN from the impact with the ceiling, and starts to fall back to the floor. Mr. Bassman, now free of Vikon's mind control, hits him with a stunning sonic blast for 37 STUN, CON-stunning him before he hits the floor. Ladyhawk is already at the impact site as he lands, connecting with another Nerve Strike for 12 STUN, which puts Biomaster out of his immediate misery)

 **Starforce** (landing while looking at the Varanyi, forcefield rippling): "Next?"

(Starforce vanishes in a crossfire of four combat blasters [each 4d6 RKA])

 **Ladyhawk** : "STARFORCE!!"

(the flare of energy fades. Starforce is still standing, unhurt)

 **Starforce** (to the Varanyi): "SERIOUSLY?"

(Golden Avenger punches his Varanyi and knocks him out)

(Ranger and Mr. Bassman knock another Varanyi out)

(Spiritual Warrior swings Khereviel overhand, chopping through the third commando's combat blaster almost effortlessly before hitting the Varanyi's scout armor for 1 BODY and 28 STUN, CON-stunning him)

 **Golden Avenger** (to Vikon as he stands up): "Give it up, Varanyi. You've lost."

 **Vikon** : ((you... know my people?))

 **Golden Avenger** : "Yes." (beat) "Come quietly and you will be treated well."

(tense pause)

 **Vikon** : ((I think not))

(zzzzZZZZZAP!)

(the Varanyi vanish from the remains of the Front Lobby. Exhausted pause)

 **Starforce** (to the rest of TASK FORCE): "Well, that was fun!"

* * *

(Visiting Officer's Quarters East, Kirtland AFB NM. The next day)

(TASK FORCE is in full kit, being driven in an Air Force van to their quarters)

 **Spiritual Warrior** (to Starforce): "I've been meaning to ask you. Why did you throw up when we teleported yesterday?"

 **Starforce** : "Dunno. It's the first time I've ever *been* teleported."

 **Ladyhawk** (to Ranger): "Are you SURE they're going to attack here next?"

 **Ranger** : "For what the Varanyi have been interested in attacking, Kirtland is what we used to call in the Army a 'target-rich environment.'" (beat) "It's where I'd hit next if I were them."

(the van stops in front of the VOQ entrance. TASK FORCE disembarks while airmen get their bags)

 **Mr. Bassman** : "Wasn't Minute-mon s'posed to be meeting us?"

 **Ranger** : "He pulls into town later this afternoon and has to deliver his load before he can do that."

(Starforce stops to look to the east. The sheer cliffs of the Sandia Mountains loom over the northeastern side of Albuquerque to his left, and the hills of the Manzano range squat only a few miles away ahead and to his right)

 **Ladyhawk** : "I'm guessing there weren't any mountains around that small town of yours in Indiana?"

 **Starforce** : "Indianapolis isn't a small town, and no there weren't."

 **Mr. Bassman** : "Dis be nothin', mon. You should see the mountains 'round LA!"

 **Starforce** : "I still think it'd be cool to have this to focus on all day." (beat, leaning over to Ladyhawk) "You know, they have an indoor Olympic-sized pool here?"

 **Ladyhawk** (angry): "Don't. Start. Nerd-boy!"

 **Starforce** : "Come on now! It's not like I asked you if you packed that bikini you..."

(Ladyhawk slaps Starforce)

 **Starforce** : "OW! At least let me activate my forcefield before you do that..."

(Ranger sighs)

 **Mr. Bassman** (to Ladyhawk): "What bikini Starforce-mon be talkin' about, hawk-girl?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "AAARGH!!"

(an Air Force lieutenant colonel in short sleeves and a crew cut has walked up to TASK FORCE by this time)

 **Officer** : "Ranger?"

 **Ranger** : "That would be me."

 **Officer** (shaking Ranger's hand): "Lieutenant Colonel Shane Silverman. I'll be your liaison officer while your team is deployed to Kirtland."

 **Ranger** : "Do we have any idea yet where the aliens are going to hit?"

 **Silverman** : "We've got the Weapons Lab, Sandia National Labs, the old Atomic Energy Commission site now run by DoE, and that's just the sites I'm cleared to brief your team about. Take your pick."

 **Ranger** : "And the ones you CAN'T brief us about?"

(awkward pause)

 **Silverman** : "Not out here in the open."

 **Ranger** : "Understood, Colonel."

* * *

(Varanyi Star Galleon _Sitharados_ , low Earth orbit. The next day)

(T'Nereq is hosting Vikon at a meal in her quarters)

 **T'Nereq** : ((attacking TASK FORCE in their home city was FOOLISH and you know it!))

 **Vikon** : ((Dallas was on our target list, and we now know for certain that the trio that faced my proxies at the spaceport works at ProStar))

 **T'Nereq** : ((your team was lucky to escape capture))

 **Vikon** : ((their team GOT lucky in taking down my Hrewinth H'varr so quickly. Even with me controlling their sonic mutant))

 **T'Nereq** : ((you have seen the tactical assessment of the new superheroes?))

 **Vikon** : ((I have. The neurokinetic is a villain and extremely dangerous. The Golden Avenger appeared to have been there to brief TASK FORCE.))

 **T'Nereq** : ((and the other two? They were the members of TASK FORCE missing from your encounter with them at the spaceport.))

 **Vikon** : ((I concur with their conclusion about the versatility of the sonic mutant))

T'Nereq; ((and the priest of their variant of Yinda'r?))

 **Vikon** : ((your staff missed that his sword is intelligent))

(shocked pause)

 **T'Nereq** : ((are you sure?))

 **Vikon** : ((positive. I made mental contact with it before battle)) (beat, shudders) ((whatever it is, it is *not* from our dimension))

 **T'Nereq** (beat): ((it would appear that this human superteam is a little more capable than you originally assumed when you began this phase of your mission))

 **Vikon** : ((for not being Varanyi, they are very determined and resourceful))

(a pause while they eat some more of their meals)

 **T'Nereq** : ((so where are you probing next?))

 **Vikon** (calling up a map on the display in T'Nereq's cabin): ((the human city known as Albuquerque. There are several large research complexes associated with the military base in that city))

 **T'Nereq** : ((the military site north of Las Vegas would be a better target))

 **Vikon** : ((the one marked on human charts as Groom Lake?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((yes. The combined electrogravitic and theta-boson source there is inexplicable given this species' observed tech level))

 **Vikon** : ((true. However, Groom Lake lacks something which Albuquerque possesses))

(he zooms the display on the northernmost mountain in the Manzano Range)

 **Vikon** : ((a nuclear weapons bunker underneath this mountain. I intend to steal a weapon in transit from the runway to this facility and arm it for detonation))

(shocked pause)

 **T'Nereq** (so disgusted she speaks): «That is INSANE!»

 **Vikon** : ((that is called a *diversion*, Captain)) (beat) ((my team can work its will on the rest of the base with impunity while the local authorities attempt to disarm the bomb))

 **T'Nereq** : «Have you been PAYING ATTENTION to the political intelligence briefings my Tactical staff have been compiling for you?»

 **Vikon** : ((if you are referring to the decades-long nuclear standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union, yes I have)) (beat) ((what makes you believe the Americans will mistake what I intend to do with a Soviet attack?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((you assume rational behavior from a primitive species whose greatest nations have built up enough nuclear weaponry to devastate half their planet!))

 **Vikon** : ((thanks to the Golden Avenger's presence in Dallas, the American's National Command Authority is already aware that I and my team are not of their world. Your concerns are baseless, Skolvasian))

 **T'Nereq** : ((and what if the Americans cannot disarm your diversion in time? What then?))

 **Vikon** : ((that is of no concern to me)) (beat) ((since when did you become the protector of these primitives, Captain?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((I have been providing you intelligence on this species since we made orbit last month. I have seen more of them from orbit than you have fighting them on the ground)) (beat) ((to you and the Uthiriom Vaan, they are a resource fit only for harvesting. To me, they are a people capable of honor and great feats in *spite* of their flaws, worthy of our friendship!))

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **T'Nereq** : ((why conquer and take what they would give us willingly if we would JUST approach them openly?))

(beat)

 **Vikon** (getting up): ((I have simulator sessions to run with my team. Good day, Skolvasian))

(he leaves)

 **T'Nereq** : «what have they DONE to you on the Uthiriom Vaan, Vikon?»

* * *

(Officer's Club East, Kirtland AFB, NM. That afternoon)

(Julie is swimming laps in the outdoor pool behind the O Club. As she approaches the wall at the deep end, she sees a pair of legs dangling under the surface)

 **Ladyhawk** (internal monologue): [[about time, Nerd-boy]]

(she stops and catches her breath as she looks at Bob sitting on the edge next to her)

 **Ladyhawk** (sultry): "Finally gonna join me?"

 **Starforce** (pointing to the east): "We have bigger problems right now."

(Bob is pointing at the clouds which are beginning to grow just west of the Manzano mountains. There is a rumble of thunder from them)

 **Starforce** : "Those weren't there five minutes ago."

 **Ladyhawk** (looking at the clouds): "Are they headed this way?"

 **Starforce** : "Yes." (beat) "And they seem to be growing a *lot* faster than they should be."

 **Ladyhawk** (concerned): "Could it be that weather controller VIPER hired to destroy ProStar last summer?" /* 'You All Meet In A Lab' */

 **Starforce** : "PRIMUS never found his body. Remember?"

(the clouds over the Manzanos are now growing as if on fast-forward, Julie extends a hand to Bob)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Help me out, Nerd-boy."

(awkward pause)

 **Starforce** : "You're not going to pull me in?"

 **Ladyhawk** (crossly): "Business before pleasure. Come on!"

* * *

(near Officer's Club East, Kirtland AFB, NM. One minute later)

(James 'Stormfront' Hailey hovers in mid-air in front of the thunderstorm bearing down on the northeastern parts of Kirtland AFB. Lightning flashes almost stroboscopically behind him as the rumble of approaching thunder grows louder and almost continuous. TASK FORCE stands in front of the O Club to meet him)

 **Starforce** (muttered): "Was it TOO much to expect that the tornado he summoned last year did him in?"

 **Ladyhawk** (aghast): "Nerd-boy?!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** (pointedly to Starforce): "For once, I agree with Ladyhawk."

(Starforce shuts up, properly chastised)

 **Ranger** : "Bassman, Pastor. You're up."

 **Minuteman** : "Not all of us?"

 **Ranger** : "Starforce would be overkill, and nobody else has a ranged attack."

(the wind whips and gusts around TASK FORCE with increasing force as Spiritual Warrior and Mr. Bassman step forward)

(Starforce steps through spectral filters and magnifiers in his mask while he waits for the battle to be joined, and notices something)

 **Starforce** (private frequency to Ranger): "Boss, Mr. Hailey's eyes are glowing."

 **Ranger** : "So?"

 **Starforce** : "They never did last year when he attacked ProStar."

(beat)

 **Ranger** : "You think the Varanyi are mentally controlling him?"

 **Starforce** : "It's possible."

 **Stormfront** : "KENT, BABY! SO GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT!!" (beat, pirouetting in mid-air) "COME UP HERE AND DANCE WITH ME!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Come down here and talk to me, James. We can work this out."

 **Stormfront** : "But I'm so FREE up here, Kent. I don't wanna come down!"

(the lightning bolt that smashes down on Spiritual Warrior is deflected harmlessly away, except for the massive clap of thunder that follows it. The torrential downpour of rain which follows it cannot be so easily deflected, and except for a blurry outline he vanishes from view)

 **Mr. Bassman** (half-move sonic teleporting out of the downburst): "Go back home, mon! I chase the rain away!"

(Mr. Bassman achieves surprise in combat and hits Stormfront with his stunning blast for 34 STUN. CON-stunned, Stormfront's powers shut down and he starts to fall out of the sky)

 **Minuteman** (superleaping underneath Stormfront): "Didn't I do this with him *last* year?"

(he catches Stormfront and slows him gently down to the ground. Mr. Bassman finishes the job before Stormfront can recover from being stunned and puts him out with another application of his stunning blast)

(Spiritual Warrior walks over to Stormfront's unconscious form and kneels by him)

 **Mr. Bassman** : "Wait a minute, Angel-mon. Weren't you soaking wet a minute ago?"

(a slight smile crosses Spiritual Warrior's lips as he attempts to read Stormfront's mind. A moment passes)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "It was as Starforce theorized. Mr. Hailey had been mind-controlled."

 **Ranger** : "Any idea where the Varanyi are or what they were doing?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Had he remained conscious, I might have been able to determine that."

 **Ladyhawk** (Danger Sense firing): "I have a feeling we're about to find that out."

(an Air Force staff car speeds toward TASK FORCE and skids to a halt with a squeal of abused brakes. LTC Silverman gets out, looking very agitated. Security Police cars follow, and the SPs run over to Stormfront)

 **Silverman** : "What happened here?"

 **Ranger** : "An old opponent of ours appears to have been mind-controlled by the Varanyi to attack the base. We stopped him."

 **Silverman** (abruptly): "He was the diversion, Ranger."

 **Ranger** : "WHAT?"

 **Silverman** : "A squad of Varanyi commandoes just hit a military convoy moving from Manzano Bunker to the runway."

 **Ranger** (face paling): "Oh, crap!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "What did they take?"

 **Silverman** : "Nothing. It's what they DID that's about to kill us all."

(shocked pause)

 **Silverman** (climbing back into the staff car): "Follow me. Perhaps you can stop it."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "We can get there quicker if I can teleport us all."

 **Ranger** : "Don't you have to see your target to do that?"

 **Starforce** (to Spiritual Warrior): "If you do your Vulcan Mind Meld thing with me, I can fly on ahead and spot the landing zone for you."

 **Spiritual Warrior** (nodding): "Works for me."

(Starforce looks at Ranger, who nods approval)

 **Starforce** (to LTC Silverman): "Colonel, where am I heading?"

 **Silverman** (pointing south): "Start flying south, son. You can't miss the smoke plume."

* * *

(2 miles NW of Manzano Bunker, Kirtland AFB, NM)

(a flatbed semi carrying a bomb lies askew across the right-hand shoulder of the road out of Manzano Bunker, accompanied by the smoking and burned-out hulks of several military trucks scattered across the desert to either side of the road. A shooting star flies over them and reverses course)

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!!)

(TASK FORCE, minus Starforce but with Col. Silverman, teleports next to the flatbed semi)

 **Minuteman** (looking at the semi's wheels): "Shouldn't be too hard to git 'er movin' again if we need to."

(the shooting star now resolves itself into Starforce as he circles the site of the attack)

 **Starforce** (over radio): "Site's clear. Other than the truck's cargo, the Varanyi have left us no surprises."

 **Ranger** : "Good. Get down here and help Ladyhawk."

(Starforce levitates down to the flatbed next to Ranger, Ladyhawk, and Col. Silverman as they climb up next to the bomb)

 **Ranger** : "What are we dealing with, people?"

 **Silverman** : "That's classified."

 **Starforce** (facepalming): "Oh, for God's sake." (beat) "The *really* *big* bomb we're all looking at is a B-83 gravity bomb, just entering the Air Force inventory this year. It's a dial-a-yield weapon capable of an explosion anywhere between several tens of kilotons to over 1 megaton."

(shocked pause)

 **Silverman** (threatening growl): "And exactly WHY would you know this, son?"

 **Starforce** (sounding like he is speaking to a small child): "Because PRIMUS talked about it in this year's Superhuman Survey under the entry for Professor Muerte. He attempted to steal the prototype from Lawrence Livermore last summer. If you have a problem with that, take it up with THEM!"

 **Ranger** : "Manzano Bunker's the nuclear weapons storage site you told me about yesterday, right?"

 **Silverman** (beat): "Yes." (indicating the bomb) "It was supposed to be in transit to the C-141 over by the Airborne Laser Lab Hangar for deployment elsewhere."

(Ladyhawk has been examining the bomb while the arguing has been taking place. She now looks up, and what everyone can see of her face is as white as a sheet)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Boss, we've got a *big* problem."

 **Ranger** : "You can't get to the fusing mechanism?"

 **Ladyhawk** (beat): "Well, that too, but I don't know what's going to happen when I try to work around..."

(she points to an alien piece of technology attached to the nose of the bomb)

 **Ladyhawk** (continuing): "THAT!"

(shocked pause)

 **Ranger** : "What is that?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Best guess? Some sort of timer the Varanyi attached to the bomb."

 **Silverman** : "But that's impossible! The Permissive Action Link within the bomb can't be REACHED from where that thing is..."

 **Starforce** (small voice): "Psychokinesis with remote viewing? Hel-LO..."

 **Silverman** : "Son, I've just about HAD it with your attitude..."

 **Starforce** (interrupting, angry): "And just WHAT are you gonna do about that? Spank me while Albuquerque gets vaporized?!?"

 **Ranger** : "Both of you! SHUT UP!!"

(tense pause)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "I can teleport the bomb away."

 **Starforce** (distracted, looking off to the northwest): "Pastor, you can't get it far enough away in time."

 **Ranger** : "Didn't they used to test atomic weapons in New Mexico?"

 **Starforce** (still looking off to the northwest): "That was once in 1945, and much lower power than our friend here!" (beat) "Even if Kent could make it all the way to White Sands, the prevailing wind's gonna carry the fallout over the Texas Panhandle!"

 **Minuteman** (angry): "My family MIGHT have sumpthin' to say about that! They're in Dalhart..."

 **Ranger** (to Starforce): "You have a better idea? I'm running out of options here!"

(Starforce raises a hand, silencing Ranger, then points off to what he's been looking at for the past minute -- a gigantic wooden and metal construct extending out of the north wall of Tijeras Arroyo a couple of miles away)

 **Starforce** : "Colonel Silverman, what's that?"

 **Silverman** : "The TRESTLE EMP simulator. The Air Force Weapons Lab runs it."

 **Starforce** (beat): "How powerful?"

 **Silverman** : "I believe it's rated for 50,000 volts per meter..."

 **Starforce** (interrupting): "That's PERFECT!"

 **Ranger** : "What are you thinking? You're going to disable the bomb by EMPing it?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Better not. It's probably salvage-fused to go off if that happens."

 **Starforce** : "I have something more awesome in mind."

(for the first time since their arrival on-scene, an expression of hope crosses Col. Silverman's face)

 **Silverman** : "What do you need, son?"

 **Starforce** : "Three things." (beat, counting them off on his fingers) "This bomb on the TRESTLE, someone who knows how the TRESTLE operates to meet us there..."

(beat)

 **Mr. Bassman** : "And?"

 **Starforce** : "Something to wear."

* * *

(Airborne Laser Lab Hangar, Kirtland AFB. Ten minutes later)

(Vikon stands underneath an old KC-135 modified with a turreted fairing behind the cockpit on the upper fuselage. Across the eastern end of the main runway, planes and fuel tanks burn)

 **Vikon** : ((an infrared laser. Crude, but effective))

 **Commando** : ((sir, the humans are moving the nuclear device))

 **Vikon** : ((where to?))

 **Commando** : ((the large wooden platform two miles southeast of us. I keep hearing the phrases 'TRESTLE' and 'Electromagnetic Pulse Simulator' in the humans' thoughts))

 **Vikon** : ((that doesn't make any sense)) (beat) ((lieutenant, guide my thoughts. I must know more))

 **Commando** : ((yessir))

(tense pause, as each puts a hand on the other's head. Beads of sweat form on Vikon's brow)

 **Vikon** : ((the human's technical specialist has extremely high natural mental defenses. Unusually so for a non-adept...))

(another pause, then Vikon finally finds what he needs to read out of Starforce's mind. His mouth falls open in shock)

 **Vikon** : ((Lieutenant, where is the _Sitharados_?))

 **Commando** : ((she will be overhead in five minutes...))

 **Vikon** (eyes flaring, pointing to the southeast): ((those FOOLS are about to attack the _Sitharados_ with a nuclear weapon! STOP THEM!!))

 **Commando** (in sheer disbelief): ((HOW?))

 **Vikon** : ((their technical specialist intends to use his suit and the EMP simulator as an electrogravitic catapult to throw the bomb into space!))

 **Commando** : ((on our way, sir))

(mentally snapping orders at the other Hrewinth H'varr, the commandos take off and after a moment start heading toward the TRESTLE while Vikon mentally commands one of the humans to bring him their car)

* * *

(TRESTLE EMP Simulator, Kirtland AFB. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(The flatbed semi with the bomb is now in the exact center of the TRESTLE's main platform. As Minuteman and Mr. Bassman get out and Starforce lands, a staff car screeches to a halt on the ramp connecting the main platform to the taxiway)

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!!)

(Spiritual Warrior appears with Ranger, Ladyhawk, and Colonel Silverman. A staff officer runs up to Colonel Silverman, carrying a pair of jet jammies and boots. Silverman indicates Starforce, and the staff officer runs over to him)

 **Starforce** (taking the outfit from the officer): "Oh, thank you!"

(the officer nods and leaves. Starforce freezes, looking at the bomb while his lips barely move)

 **Mr. Bassman** : "What's he doing, mon?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Lightning calculator mode. He's an idiot savant with numbers."

 **Minuteman** : "An' how would you know *that*?"

 **Ladyhawk** (whispered, annoyed): "Stop it!"

 **Starforce** (handing the jet jammies to Ladyhawk): "Hold these, please."

(tense pause as Starforce strips out of his suit. Ladyhawk looks up and down Bob's body)

 **Starforce** (to Ladyhawk, trying not to blush from the attention): "Didn't you get enough at the pool, Ninjette?"

(Ladyhawk pumps her eyebrows suggestively and smiles)

 **Ranger** (clearing throat): "Children, if we're QUITE through?"

(awkward pause as Starforce puts on the jet jammies. They're a little baggy, but beggars can't be choosers)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Now what?"

 **Starforce** : "I've programmed my suit for what it's supposed to do when the EMP wave hits it."

 **Ranger** : "Which will be..."

 **Starforce** (beat): "Anyone ever been skeet-shooting?"

 **Ladyhawk** (blurting out): "Daddy would take me every weekend before he was killed."

 **Starforce** : "The bomb is the skeet, and my suit interacting with the EMP wave will be the launcher." (starts fastening his suit around the bomb) "Straight up at *very* high acceleration."

 **Silverman** : "What about g-forces?"

 **Starforce** (tying his suit around the bomb): "My flight's electrogravitic-based. No inertial effects within the drive field."

(after another moment's work, he is finally satisfied with how his battlesuit is wrapped around the bomb)

 **Ladyhawk** : "So you're going to save Albuquerque by sacrificing your suit?"

 **Starforce** : "I needed to rebuild it anyway." (beat, looks around) "Wasn't somebody from the technical staff here supposed to meet us?"

 **Silverman** : "Yes..."

 **Ranger** : "Where's the control room?"

 **Silverman** (pointing to the skeletal metal wedge aimed at them like the bow of a ship): "In the wedge, second floor."

 **Ranger** : "Starforce, Ladyhawk, make the TRESTLE work. The rest of us, we keep the Varanyi away."

(eight shooting stars head from the smoke clouds and fires at the eastern edge of the runway toward the TRESTLE)

 **Ranger** : "For now, nothing else matters."

* * *

(Second floor, TRESTLE EMP Simulator. Thirty seconds later)

(there is a CLANG as the latch mechanism of the fire escape door falls onto the floor, edges still glowing red-hot from the influence of the laser torch that had just been used on it. Beat, then Ladyhawk prys the door open with her billy club)

 **Starforce** : "Door on the right has to be the control room. How do we get the staff out of there?"

(Ladyhawk rolls her eyes, shakes her head, and yanks on the fire alarm. Raucous bells and sirens sound, and people swarm around them and to the stairs for the next few seconds)

 **Starforce** (to himself): "Ask a stupid question..."

(after a moment, they can enter the control room unchallenged. Bob heads immediately to what has to be the main control panel)

 **Ladyhawk** : "That fire alarm isn't gonna distract them for long!"

 **Starforce** : "Hopefully, I won't need that much time."

(he studies the panel for a moment)

 **Starforce** : "Ninjette!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "What?"

 **Starforce** (pointing to a big red button): "Big red button. In case something happens to me."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Got it."

* * *

(Main platform, TRESTLE EMP simulator. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(the battle on the platform has degenerated into a standoff, with the Hrewinth H'varr utilizing the now-wrecked staff car as cover and TASK FORCE using the bomb for cover. Occasionally, a commando will attempt to fly to a flanking position, only to be driven back by ranged attacks from Mr. Bassman and Spiritual Warrior)

 **Minuteman** : "Hopefully we'll get some warnin' when this thing's about to launch."

 **Silverman** : "There'll be a klaxon a few seconds before the pulsers fire."

 **Ranger** : "We'll never get off the platform in time!"

 **Silverman** : "We just need to get clear of the bomb. The tour officer last time I was here said that EMP had an effect on people only if they were completing a circuit."

 **Mr. Bassman** : "Like a spoon in a microwave, mon?"

 **Silverman** (beat): "Not exactly."

* * *

(Taxi ramp, TRESTLE EMP simulator. One second later)

(the leader of the Hrewinth H'varr shakes his head as his eyes stop glowing)

 **Commando 1** (to Vikon): ((The one known as Spiritual Warrior continues to block our psionic attacks. Even with all of us concentrating our energies))

 **Vikon** : ((wait. Is that the tech specialist's battlesuit around the bomb?))

 **Commando 1** : ((yessir))

 **Vikon** : ((then WHERE IS HE?))

 **Commando 2** : ((I saw him run into the superstructure on the far side of the platform with the female superhero as we flew in for our initial attack...))

 **Vikon** : ((find them. NOW))

(tense pause. The commandoes all focus their energy into a Mind Scan on the immediate environs of the TRESTLE site)

 **Commando 1** : ((sir, they're in this facility's control room! They're trying to activate it!))

 **Vikon** (pointing to the bomb): ((storm their position, Lieutenant. NOW))

 **Commando 2** : ((what of the heroes in the control room?))

 **Vikon** (eyes glowing): ((leave them to me))

* * *

(Control Room, TRESTLE EMP Simulator. One second later)

(contractor and military personnel stream into the second floor corridor and head toward Ladyhawk in the door to the control room. Their eyes are glowing)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Nerd-boy? We've got company!!"

 **Starforce** : "Almost got it. We're at 60 percent charge..."

(the first contractor to reach Ladyhawk takes 3 BODY and 17 STUN from a martial kick, and tangles up two more contractors as he drops to the ground CON-stunned)

(an airman is Ladyhawk's next victim, finding himself martial-thrown to the floor just inside the control room. She pivots from that throw into a back-kick that CON-stuns one of the previously-tripped up contractors who has just managed to stand up)

 **Ladyhawk** (tossing marbles into the hallway before punching someone with her billy club): "Nerd-boy, it's getting *crowded* over here!"

 **Starforce** : "We're at 80 percent! Just a few more seconds..."

(the weight of numbers gradually mounts, since Ladyhawk can't QUITE knock an attacker out with each attack and she is fighting in a very restricted space. Eventually, she vanishes under a pile of Air Force personnel and contractors)

 **Starforce** : "LADYHAWK!!"

* * *

(Main Platform, TRESTLE EMP simulator. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(from behind the wrecked staff car, grenades arc into the air, then fly straight across the platform to hover above TASK FORCE. Grenade warfare is SO much more fun when the throwers are also psychokinetics...)

 **Ranger** : "TAKE COV..."

(the flash-bangs go off. Only Spiritual Warrior is not blinded or deafened by the attack)

 **Commando 1** : «NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!»

(each pushing their battlesuit's flight, the commandoes rush TASK FORCE's position behind the bomb)

* * *

(Control Room, TRESTLE EMP Simulator. One second later)

(screaming, Bob picks up the chair in front of the control panel and slams it across the back of the nearest contractor. He drops, knocked out)

(a sergeant grabs the chair and rips it out of Bob's hands. Two more contractors grab his arms, and the sergeant CON-stuns Bob with a vicious right hook

(as Bob recovers from being stunned, an Air Force lieutenant walks up to him)

 **LT** : "Mister, do you have anything to say for yourself before the SP's get here?"

(With his eyes only, Bob glances at the control panel and sees both meters measuring the pulser's charge level in the red all the way to the right. He also sees something else. He smiles)

 **Starforce** : "As a matter of fact, I do." (looking over the lieutenant's shoulder) "Pull!"

(everyone looks over in the direction Bob is looking, and their jaws drop open in shock. Ladyhawk is standing at the control panel)

 **Ladyhawk** (waving, sultry): "Hi, guys!"

(smiling sweetly, she presses the big red button)

* * *

(Main deck, TRESTLE EMP simulator. One second later)

(firing a big EMP simulator like the TRESTLE is actually a very boring event during the daytime. Among other things, you don't see the pulsers on their decks crawling with excess static electricity as they charge up to overload power like you would during a night shot. The only thing that tells you something has happened is the loud SNAP! of the capacitor banks in the pulsers discharging)

(if you're wearing electrogravitics operating at full power inside the test volume -- like, say, the Hrewinth H'varr fighting TASK FORCE are or the bomb counting down to detonation wearing Starforce's battlesuit is -- the event is anything BUT boring)

(Ranger watches in shocked horror as the Hrewinth H'varr whom he is fighting is ripped apart like a flimsy rag doll. Other Varanyi commandoes, depending on what they are doing or where they are located, are ripped apart, shotgunned at very high speed into the slopes of Tijeras Arroyo, or slammed through the TRESTLE's structure to impact the ground 120 feet below)

(the bomb puts on the most spectactular show. Before it gets 10 feet off the Main deck, it has already exceeded the speed of sound. By the time the resulting sonic boom reaches Vikon and TASK FORCE, the bomb is well clear of both TRESTLE and Kirtland AFB, having been accelerated well past escape velocity in the split-second the TRESTLE's electric field interacted with Starforce's battlesuit)

* * *

(HQ NORAD, Cheyenne Mountain AFS, CO. Five seconds later)

 **Tech 1** (awed murmur): "Look at that sumbitch climb!"

 **Tech 2** : "Launch point appears to be 35 degrees 2 minutes north, 106 degrees 32 minutes west. East side of Kirtland AFB." (beat) "Could this be the superhero team attempting to resolve the EMPTY QUIVER incident?"

 **Watch Officer** : "Will it make orbit?"

 **Tech 2** : "It's already past escape velocity, sir!"

(more alarms sound)

 **Tech 1** : "I have a NUCFLASH event on the trajectory of the UFO!"

 **Watch Officer** (paling): "Confirm!"

 **Tech 2** : "Confirmed. PINNACLE NUCFLASH, Southwest of Albuquerque, altitude 180 miles..."

(more alarms sound)

 **Tech 3** : "Where the *hell* did THAT come from? I have a NEW unidentified contact in orbit in the vicinity of the NUCFLASH!"

 **Watch Officer** (now sounding rattled): "What?"

 **Tech 2** : "UFO confirmed, tracking south of Albuquerque. Rough elements are 60 degrees inclination, altitude 180 miles!" (beat) "whatever it is, sir, it's HUGE!"

/* I'm REALLY wishing I actually knew someone who stood shifts at Cheyenne Mountain to write this scene accurately */

* * *

(Varanyi Star Galleon _Sitharados_. One second later)

(monitors are flashing red across the _Sitharados_ ' CIC as alarm klaxons sound)

 **Tactical** : ((Primary shields are down! Secondaries at 50%!!) 

**Ops** : ((Cloak disabled, sir!))

 **XO** : ((it's as if they KNEW we'd be here when they launched Prince Vikon's diversonary weapon!))

 **Tactical** : ((we're being painted by multiple ground-based sensors))

 **T'Nereq** : ((they know we're here)) (to Conn) ((can we maneuver?))

 **Conn** : ((yes, Captain. Secondary drives are still online))

 **XO** : ((recommend we move to the far side of this planet's moon to effect repairs))

 **T'Nereq** : ((Ops! Teleporter status?))

 **Ops** : ((still operational))

 **T'Nereq** : ((Main Teleport! Retrieve Vikon's team. NOW.))

 **XO** : ((sir, they can see us! What if they launch another one...))

 **T'Nereq** : ((we are NOT leaving our personnel behind on this planet. Do you understand me?))

 **XO** (beat): ((yessir))

* * *

(TRESTLE EMP Simulator, Kirtland AFB NM. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(of the Varanyi assault on the TRESTLE, only Vikon is left. He regards TASK FORCE with an almost imperial air)

 **Ranger** : "Pastor, can you neutralize his psionics?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "I should be able to..."

 **Vikon** (interrupting): "That won't be necessary, Major Jameson."

(shocked pause)

 **Ranger** : "You speak our language?"

 **Vikon** : "After a fashion." (beat) "I have only been exposed to it for over a month."

(beat)

 **Ranger** : "Do you surrender?"

 **Vikon** : "With my commandoes all dead and my starship wounded in orbit, what choice do I have?"

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!)

(stunned pause)

 **Mr. Bassman** : "His starship not as wounded as he thought, mon!"

* * *

(Varanyi Star Galleon _Sitharados_ , 70 miles above Tsiolkovskiy Crater, Moon. One hour later)

(Vikon and T'Nereq are in Main Briefing)

 **Vikon** : ((damage to your ship?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((we lost the cloak and shield generator 1. We will be unable to effect repairs on either system until we get back to Varanyi space. Starboard ventral broadside can only be fired under local control, and doors for torpedo tubes 5 and 6 are spot-welded shut until Damage Control can cut them back open)) (beat) ((it could have been a LOT worse))

 **Vikon** : ((Honest recommendation now, Captain. Do we continue with our mission?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((I recommend we terminate it and go home. We cannot remain unseen to their sensors anymore, and our defenses against even their crude attacks will be at reduced effectiveness))

(long pause, held gaze)

 **Vikon** : ((other teams from this ship were active during the probe phase. Their status?))

(T'Nereq calls up a holographic globe of the Earth, and annotates it as it slowly spins between them)

 **T'Nereq** : ((the teams investigating the region known as 'China' had the most success of all our missions, at about a 50% success rate, despite the size of their national superhero team and military)) (beat, then England and France are annotated) ((we were getting higher success rates at the western end of the Eurasian continent until the last two days. Since the most prominent nation-states at that end of the continent are friends of the United States, Tactical staff believes that the Americans were sharing intelligence about us with them.)) (beat, then an annotation pops up over Japan) ((the Japanese were resisting our probes with surprising tenacity and courage, and also show a similar uptick in their effectiveness fighting us around the same time))

 **Vikon** : ((no teams in the Soviet Union?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((except for Larisagrad, unworthy of our attention. The one probe that attacked that city was repulsed by the Supreme Soviets with heavy casualties))

 **Vikon** : ((what about on the American continent?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((we had teams busy around Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay during the past week. Both show a similar pattern to the Europeans and Japanese on their ability to resist our probes)) (beat) ((which leads me to what *your* team suffered at the hands of TASK FORCE))

 **Vikon** : ((if you are about to insinuate that what happened to my team happened because of my poor leadership, that thought has already occurred to me))

 **T'Nereq** : ((my Tactical staff would disagree with your assessment. Vehemently))

 **Vikon** : ((the Uthiriom Vaan will not, however))

(awkward pause. T'Nereq shuts the hologram of Earth down)

 **T'Nereq** : ((what if you recommended we attack this world?))

(shocked pause)

 **Vikon** : ((now it is *I* that must question YOUR sanity, Skolvasian! After what we've just been through?))

 **T'Nereq** : ((think about it, Vikon! Send all our hotheads up against this world, against this species! Kill off those of us who would conquer the Galaxy because they think it is our duty to do so!))

 **Vikon** (slowly): ((that would require a degree of ruthlessness of which I am not capable of manifesting))

 **T'Nereq** : ((perhaps you should start doing so, instead of whining all the time about how corrupt the Uthiriom Vaan is)) (beat) ((or are you afraid that your brother will bully you for acting like a true Varanyi?))

 **Vikon** : ((I am not my brother))

 **T'Nereq** (bitterly): ((no. No you aren't))

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **T'Nereq** : ((so what will your final recommendation concerning Earth be?))

 **Vikon** : ((not to invade))

 **T'Nereq** : ((the Uthiriom Vaan won't like that answer))

 **Vikon** (sadly): ((that, Skolvasian, will be my problem to worry about. Not yours))

* * *

**EPILOGUE** : Stately Dormyer Manor, Lakewood Village, TX. Early the next evening.

(The grill on the back patio has been fired up and Shina is preparing ribs for TASK FORCE)

 **Mr. Bassman** (to Bob): "I would have thought you'd be in California by now getting your experiment off the Shuttle."

 **Starforce** : "NASA won't unload a shuttle that lands at Edwards until it can be ferried to Kennedy Space Center." (beat, empties his Dr. Pepper) "I'll be spending a couple of days next week back in Florida doing just that."

(Bowser looks over at the door, then does a double-take)

 **Mr. Bassman** : "Is that your cat, Bob?"

(Bob looks over, then does a double take himself. Merlyn is out on the patio, yet the sliding door from the Breakfast Nook is clearly shut. Merlyn meows, rubs up against both Bob and Bowser's legs, then trots over to the grill to supervise Shina)

 **Starforce** : "How did he DO that?"

 **Mr. Bassman** : "He was sliding the door *shut* with a front paw when I first saw him!"

(beat, then they laugh)

(Kent is looking across Lake Lewisville as he talks with Ted)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "So can we expect more attacks from the Varanyi?"

 **Ranger** : "Not in the immediate future, no." (beat) "The Golden Avenger told me earlier today that our ballistic missile warning system tracked a very large UFO breaking Earth orbit at high acceleration from the place where the bomb initiated less than a minute after the event."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Leaving our solar system?"

 **Ranger** : "Hopefully. Our radars lost it near the Moon." (beat) "We got EXTREMELY lucky that his mothership was apparently orbiting above Albuquerque at the exact moment we attempted to dispose of the bomb they had rigged."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "So what did they hope to accomplish with all their attacks?"

 **Ranger** : "My best guess? It was part of a reconnaissance mission of some sort." (beat, takes a drink) "I trained to do missions very similar to what the Varanyi were doing to us when I was stationed in Europe."

(beat)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "If they were not impressed with our capabilities and our ability to defend ourselves, then we can expect more attention from the Varanyi in the future. Correct?"

 **Ranger** (sighs): "Yes. Unfortunately."

(Ted turns around to look at the gathering. Julie has just walked up to Bob standing next to the pool)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Hey Nerd-boy? Remember when you were afraid I was going to pull you into the pool at Kirtland yesterday?"

 **Starforce** : "Uh, yeah..."

 **Ladyhawk** (evil smile while shoving Bob): "NOW it's pleasure!"

(much to her surprise, Bob grabs her arm as he overbalances and starts to fall into the pool. He pulls Julie in with him)

(as the rest of the party watches in shock, the splash subsides, to be replaced by frequent and intermittent bubbles from them underwater)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Are they OK?"

(they finally surface, Julie securely in Bob's grasp. Bob is nose-to-nose with her, almost as if he had been kissing her)

(shocked pause, held gaze)

 **Starforce** : "You know, a REAL ninja would have avoided my grab just now..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "NERD-BOY!"

* * *

(fin)


End file.
